Follow Through
by MezMaroon8
Summary: Previously called 'Start of Something Good'. Sequel to Stay. FR throughout the college years, some angst, fluff, drama, hurt/comfort. The whole cocktail. Futurefic
1. Follow Through

**Follow Through**

_**AN: So I was really happy with the response to my angst one shot for their senior goodbye scene. I listened to some more Gavin Degraw. FR through the college years, sequel to Stay. Each chapter marks a year. This isn't necessarily as angst laden as my other fics, more a mixture of hurt/comfort, fluff, drama & angst. Enjoy! Review=GOLD.**_

_So you said you want to be with me, you have to follow through with every word you say._

It's been almost 3 months since she last saw him. He promised her they would always be a part of each other's life, remain friends, keep contact but like always Finn has this peculiar habit of breaking all his empty promises. She's been thinking a lot about him a lot lately.

She keeps herself busy with the NYU college theatre productions, classes and singing lessons she coaches. She's got a job as a waitress, the typical start of the budding starlet, right? Something feels missing. She thanks God she has Kurt in Columbia, a mere few miles away. Missing him is like missing a lifeline, she decides. It's like you can't breathe or live without that line that keeps you going. He has to follow through on his word cause she doesn't know what she would do without him in her life in some capacity. She misses him like air to her lungs. The image of his broken face retreating in the shadows as she boards the coach haunts her.

This wasn't supposed to be the plan. He was supposed to be with Rachel. He was supposed to wake up to the smell of her berry essence hair tickling his bare chest, her tucked intimately in his arms after a session of heavy lovemaking every night. But she was in New York living her dreams while he lived the nightmare her absence left. He feels empty now. Morning classes are the worse, he realises. He remembers her little quirky morning energy during their last summer, she would wake him at the ungodly hour of 6am on a Saturday to get him all active, insulting his sleepy doze calling him things like 'insolent'. He would simply tease her by pretending to be in a heavy sleep, ignoring her puny footsteps by his bed until she smacked the pillowcases against his muscled giant form, in retaliation he would sneakily pull her into the bed and pepper her with kisses, tickling her in torture. He smiles, his gaze miles away, breaking from his daydream. He misses her so much its unreal.

_These feelings and emotions keep me alive._

He slips on his iPod, shrugging a fleece over his vest clad form and pulls on a pair of jeans, swinging his shoulder bag over his biceps as the lyrics eco into his ear making his heart ache. He steps foot out of the student apartment at Akron, the sandy concrete stairs beneath his trainer coated feet, his body numb from all the nostalgia that has been haunting him lately, sleep being a relentlessly elusive mission with images of her imprinted on his mind. He walks with his hands in the pockets of his dirty green jacket with the sun glaring at him as he shuts his eyes, breathing in the fresh air of the Midwestern town. The breeze is refreshing to his late solemn moods, he feels like he's floating in space in a mundane medium It's always the same routine: classes, sleep, work. There is so joy in his life anymore. Then he remembers he gave her up. His joy.

The green trees whistle in the autumn day as she hops down, her brown waves framing her morning face, her shoulders slouched with her little bedazzled side bag over her slender shoulders, she slips into the cab awaiting for her, the green and pristine scenery of NYC following the road as she looks out lost in thought.

She eyes her phone, hopelessly. No word.

_All I really want is you, for you to stick around._

There is a picture of him on her phone and her eyes are glued to the image of his crooked smile, which to this day makes her knees knee. She rolls her eyes, cursing herself. Why can't she just forget him? He sure as hell seems have forgotten her like a lost memory. There's a wet spot the reaches the bridge of her nose, she didn't notice she was crying and subconsciously she wipes away the hot salty tear. He's probably enjoying the frat boy experience college has to offer, taking advantage of the all the flirtatious girl who throw themselves at him all willing and fast, pretty unlike her. She frowns, putting the photo of his away.

The cab driver winds down the window and she looks out of the side of the grey blue sandy scenery of the elegant New York streets. There is a building that catches her eyes. Hunter College. The Victorian writing is imprinted affront of the bold broad column of the reception. She breathes for the first time. No. No, he wouldn't. She jerks her bag from her seat beside the leather cushioned sofa of the cab and halts the driver.

'Stop!'

The short bald Italian American man looks at her with alarm. She breathes out with a shaken breath, gasping for air to re-enter her lungs, her face blotched with tear stains, her hair mussed and her eyes tired from the lack of sleep with the memories that haunt her at night. How can he forget her so easily? How could he give her up so easily? The driver stop by the sidewalk of the busy traffic and she pays him for the fare, taking her bag and deciding then and there, to forget her plans and follow her heart.

She runs back toward the bus station near the subway of the cosmopolitan New York city. She loves this place. She would have loved it even more if a certain tall oaf like idiot hasn't let her walk away. She grits her teeth and shuts her eyes, wishing her angry thoughts away. She should be fuming at him but for some reason her heat flutters. He didn't want to tie her down.

_You're a real star Rachel and you deserve to shine. You deserve better than a guy anchoring you to Lima. _

She blinks away her tears blurring her vision of the light blue skies and the grey decor of the station.

She walks through the barred alleyway. She runs her hair flying over her shoulders and her thin denim jacket flying off her arms, the air hitting her toned chest clad in a thin white cream tunic dress. She has to see him. She may be crazy right now. But she has questions and she wants answers. She's need to find him, she needs the truth from his lips.

Her breathing is ragged when she makes it to the ticket booth and demands the earliest coach for Lima today. She's waiting 45 minutes until the next coach boards but it's worth the wait to see him again, she decides. She pays the fee to the ticket advisor and sits in relief at a hard wooden bench, anxiously awaiting her coach. She breaths out, calming herself, she's all filled with nervous energy and she curses herself for looking a mess. She flicks out her phone from her sack and calls Kurt.

'Kurt!' She screams.

Her best friend sounds like she's just murdered a puppy in front of his eyes.

'Rachel, it's 8am on a Monday morning. What are you doing calling me! I need my beauty sleep so my pores don't break, how dare you disturb my routine?'

Seriously, sometimes she thinks the soprano is more melodramatic than herself, she rolls her eyes.

'Kurt! I need you to tell Mandy, my roommate, I won't be back tonight when you see her at the bar this evening. I'm-I'm going to Ohio.'

'What? Are you crazy? ' She cringes from his shrill screech.

She lets out a heavy sigh. 'I need to see him, Kurt'. She eyes the photo in her purse.

'Why? Look, I know my brother. If he's not calling you it's for a good reason. Maybe he's moved on...'

There is a moment of silence between the lines and Kurt wanders if he said it too soon.

'I need to ask some questions.' She says adamant.

'You couldn't do that by letter, email, over the phone?'

He doesn't get it. He has his sweetheart right next to him in his arms every night. He has no idea what it's like to be her.

She closes her eyes and breathes in again. 'I just have to, ok? Tell Mandy. I gotta go,' she says abruptly ending the conversation.

She boards her coach, eying his number that she hasn't dialled in so long. What if he really has moved on? She wishes the thoughts away. She imagines him with another girl every night while she cries herself to sleep, trying desperately to ease the pain away from the broken tie between the strings that binds them together.

She's always felt like she could feel him, wherever he was, together or part, like they were attached by this...this...tether. She looks out of the window and gulps. That tether is broken since he cut her off his life, she realises. She can't feel him anymore, he's a ghost of the man he loved, longs for and needs so avidly.

_I haven't felt like this in so many moons, you know what I mean._

Her eyes drift shut and the hour's tunes into the destination hours later, her eyes sleepy and her hands rubbing the morning dew away to find her in her hometown. She'll never forget she's a small town girl aspiring to become a city girl. She'll never forget her small town boy.

She tabs on her phone again and sees messages from Kurt, texts of concern asking her if she is okay. She tabs into the keypad, her bags over her shoulders, her arms hugging her in the autumn breeze as she walks out the station into the town she knew so well. She's home.

She knocks on his door at exactly 12; 18 that afternoon and finds Carole engulfing her in a hug. The older woman who has become somewhat of a maternal figure to her guides her to his whereabouts and she swiftly takes another cab to the address scribbled down in cursive writing on the little note, thanking his mother as the older woman watches her ago, her hand on her heart.

For the first time in a long time, she smiles a genuine smile of relief and maybe even content. Her hair falls freely on her shoulders and she answer's Mandy's text about the theatre notes. She hasn't missed much of her world. But she wants so much to be a part of his world again, she sighs.

The air gust past her as the cab driver takes her to his apartment.

She shuts the cab door and thanks the driver when she arrives at the greenish blue door with the rusty grey black hand railing, sandy brown concrete stairs. Her head tilt up to eye the quaint place.

She irons out her dress with her hands and combs her hair with her fingers, trying to disguise the mess she is.

She steps in front of the door and lets out a nervous sigh. Here goes, she closes her eyes hopefully. Her tiny knuckles knock repeatedly on the door and the bell chimes from the other side of the door. Please don't let it be a girl, please don't let it be a girl, please don't let it be a girl.

He's laying on his bed after the dullest lecture ever, his legs sprawled out on the bed with his head in a book about a mind boggling part of sports science that's kicking his ass like a ninja. He breaks out of his defeated attempt at learning anything when he hears some tapping on the door. Is that a woodpecker, a bird or something? He creases his eyebrows in curiosity, leaping out of his bed and walking through the hollow hall as the bell chimes. Landon's out on training all day and he's not expecting anyone. Maybe he ordered pizza and forgot. He does that a lot, forget things like the clumsy oaf he is. He clears his throat and opens the door as the puny knocking persists.

'Coming!'

It's her. All 5ft 2 inches of her petite brunette frame, her eyes closed shut just as the air hits her face and he smiles at her cute expression.

'Rachel?'

Her chest heaves and he realises he's not dreaming this time. She came back for him.

'Hey,' she breathes in relief at the sight of him. No girl.

She doesn't have a moment to process his scruff rouged appearance, the stubble framing his jaw and the dry grown length of his hair as he engulfs her in a tight embrace, kissing her all over as she giggles, curling her arms around his neck, fingering his russet hair.

'Babe, what are you doing here?' He says excitedly, putting her down.

It's then she realises she's furious and her face morphs into a stern look.

He takes in her hard look seconds before he feels a stinging on his cheeks from her hand clapping his cheek.

'No calls, no emails, no letters. Nothing! For 3 months, Finn! I thought you were hooking up with girls and forgotten I existed!' She cries out as he holds onto her wrists as she attempts to hit him again.

He takes her in his arms and shuts the door behind her. 'Come here', he says gently, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her hair as she latches onto his waist.

He's longed for her touch for so long, it aches to have her here, like a surreal fantasy.

Her breath hitches and he eyes her as she breaks free of his hold.

'Did you give up Hunter for me?' Her eyes are hurt and blood-shot, from crying all morning and her voice broken it kills him.

'It was for the best.' He says simply and he feels her punches on his chest.

'You-you jerk! How dare you!' He stills her wrists again, pulling her to him.

'I just really love you, ok? I didn't want you wasting your future with me, Rach', he says hoarsely, rubbing her back to soothe her.

Her eyes meet his and he strokes her cheeks.

'Now I know, I never should have let you go,' he utters gently, tilting her face to locks his lips with hers as she cups his own scruffy bearded jaw, his hands picking her up of the floor as their lips tangle in a bruising fierce kiss with the twisting of tongues and teeth bitinher her lips as he sucks the air of her lungs once more.

They break apart for air moments later and she looks at him with hooded eyes.

'No, you shouldn't have.'

He offers her a crooked smile. 'We could always try long distance and have some epic make up sex to make up for the lost time,' he says suggestively.

'Hmm, let me think,' she puts her fingers on her lips in deep pretend thought. 'Okay.' She accepts perkily.

He scoops her up in his arms and guides her to his bedroom in the corner,kicking the door closed, dropping her forcefully on the bed as she squeals in delights, his lips lingering on her skin, peppering her with kisses, ready to ravish her all over.

_This is the start of something good. Don't you agree?_


	2. More Than Anyone

**Chapter 2: More Than Anyone**

_**AN: Every chapter is based on a Gavin Degraw song; he is my inspiration for FR fics these days. Trust me, he is the soundtrack of the FR romance. Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you like this fluffy instalment. I'm an angst junkie so tell me if it's OK.**_

_You need a friend, I'll be around, don't let this end before I see you again._

They're been doing this a lot, the long never-ending phone calls at night, the emails, Skype, the impromptu visits every term break and random weekends. But he still misses her like the desert misses the rain when she's gone. They agreed to take it slow, retrace their footsteps to get back on track. But doesn't she know he's lost without her? She's his direction, his light at the end of the tunnel after surpassing all these zigzags on the road. He wants all of her, all the time, everywhere with her by his side. He needs her with him always. He's absolutely, irrevocably in love with her like never before. She is his everything.

She's reading through her latest play for her musical theatre on feminism, as she flicks the pages, concentrated on the text, something slips out of the pages. Her legs crossed on her spacious bed with the empty side missing his engulfing comforting taller form. She eyes the laminated picture. It's of him and her in their spring break in LA freshman year, his bulky hands on her waist and both of them wearing megawatt smiles. They've been doing this forever. She sighs, she was hoping he would take the hints she's been giving him to transfer out her so he could hold her at night and sooth her when she's told for the million time she's not pretty enough to be lead in this play or that play. She hugs her shoulders and closes her eyes, the scent of his essence whipping from the oversized shirt of his coating her hugging her petite frame. If only he was here, her world would be so much more complete.

_What can I say to convince you to change your mind?_

He grunts, getting out of bed for another mundane day of classes then some gruelling training for the season competition between the college basketball teams. He thinks he misses the old high school matches with her cheering him on him planting a passionate searing kiss on her lips in celebration at the end of their victory. He misses having someone to throw a touchdown to, dedicate a dunk to. Sometimes he eyes the stands to imagine her there. He shifts his eyes back on the lonely hollow stadium to find himself all alone again.

What he misses the most in the drama she brought to his life, the air to his lungs and the adventure to his mundane routine. She's full of surprises, his little lady. There was once a time she can home unannounced and he tired trailed pieces of clothes all over his halls, rolling his eyes over Landon's shenanigans only to see his door ajar with her clad in the sexiest French lingerie posing against his bed, irresistible head to toe with a pair of fuck me shoes to top it off. He walked towards her kissing her with all his might as she undressed him, their clumsy coordination with his hungry kisses over her peek of breasts, cupping her lace laden breasts lusciously, digging his long fingers into her tiny lace panties, rubbing her clit, biting her neck as she moans against the edge of the bed, holding onto his broad shoulders to steady her balance, before collapsing to the mattress devouring each other. When he asked her later that night what the occasion was for her visit. She simply smiled and said, 'Just cause'.

_I'm gonna love you more than anyone, I'm gonna hold you closer than before. _

Sometimes she wishes he were here in moments like this. She realises she's thinking of him as if he's not hers anymore. He may be miles and miles away but he's all hers. Still, he misses his belief in her, his calming force to her stormy nature and she misses him cheering her on from the sidelines while she makes her first ever lead debut in the college production of Othello. He's her biggest fan and sometimes she misses being admired especially when all the odds are against her. She misses his crooked smile and playful winks, the thumbs up he'd give her when she'd let her nerves get the better of her and lose her breath in panic. He's all she needs to make it through the day and sometimes she wonders how she went without him to begin with.

She's exhausted beyond belief, the only reason she has the energy to walk all the back to her apartment in Manhattan was the excitement coursing through her veins to see him on the other side of the screen of her PC tonight. It's the only times they don't feel like they're worlds apart.

She shrugs off her cardigan and jerks off her dress, getting comfortable in her vest and legging, wiggling onto her seat like a child watching a Wiggles concert. She switches on her PC and signs on in record time to find him offline. She pouts. Digging her back for her phone, her mind awakes from her thoughts at the ringing of her cell. Unknown caller? Hmm.

She answers cautiously. 'Hello?' She feels herself breathe in relief at the sound of his hoarse voice.

'Rach!' He sighs in relief, standing outside the building, eying her petite frame from the lit windows.

'Finn? I thought we were going to Skype tonight, also what are you doing calling me on a private number?' She creases her eyebrows.

'Come outside!' He demands, ignoring her questions and out of breath from walking up to the door from the deserted road of the dark night.

'What are you doing here?' She asks, hastily putting on her long coat, the phone attached to her ear.

'Just cause', he smirks and she feels his smile from the other line.

He hunches his shoulders, stood on the doorstep awaiting her presence.

She hurries down the steps and falls onto his shoulders, hugging him tight as he twirls her around.

'Finn!' Her arms circle his neck as he holds her by the waist, her feet above the ground

'Hey baby!' She feels like she's flying around now, adrenaline running through her veins as he holds her tight.

She peers from his clasp and looks at his freckles face, looking like a night sky with stars in constellation. She resists the urge to trace them with her tiny fingers and just gaze down at him, her legs around his waist as he eyes with a loving gaze.

'This is a nice surprise,' she whispers.

'Hmm', he nuzzles her nose with his own as she buries her head on his shoulder.

He carries her up, opening the keys dangling from her purse, holding her all the while as she takes in the sight of him. She hasn't seen him for almost 7 months. He's got a light stubble now and is no longer the clean shaven baby faced boy she knew back in their small town but a man, rouged and handsome. Her breathe hitches as she feels him push her harshly against the wall of her passage way.

'I missed you, Rach.' He says hoarsely, his throat bobbing with emotions as he pecks her cheeks, kisses her sweetly tasting the cherry of her chap stick before nibbling on her pulse erupting her breathy moan. She runs her fingers through his messy russet hair, threading her fingers as h continues to kiss every inch of honey liked exposed flesh, finding she's not wearing a bra, her nipples hardened as his hands sneak under her vest, flicking her nipples as she groans in delight.

'Oh!'

She feels her core wetting from his touches, touches she's missed for so long and only dreamed of.

'I love you', he kisses her ear. 'I love you so much', he pecks of jaw. 'Love you', he mumbles as her mouth swallows his in a hungry kiss as he hols her steady against the hard wall, grinding against him causing friction with already hard boner, feeling his erection hit her core through her thin black legging. Their tongues dance, her teeth bites into his lower lips, bruising them as their lips twist and turn, tasting each other, not getting enough of the other.

_When I kiss, your soul, your body free._

They break free, his temple against hers, eyes locked with a deep swirling of lust swimming in her brown orbs. Within seconds, he jerks her off the wall with his hands under her knees, taking her like a caveman into her pristine room, messing it all up with his fierce hunger for her, she falls on the bed out of breath as his lips mark her, bruising her flesh as he tears the thin material of her white vest, his mouth finding a nipple as she opens her neck to him, head falling back and screams orgasmic, his finger flicking the other nipple of the while before licking the aisle of her supple breasts and tearing off her legging and panties, jerking up on his knees to unbuckle his jeans belt and unzips himself from his training erection tightening his pants.

They become once instantly, her nails scratching his bold back as he fucks her like never before, his long length sliding into her wet core, hitting her walls as she screams from the sensation of his sex. She rolls her hips against his thrusts creating a synchronising rhythm, his grunts and groans, her moans and yelps creating a peculiar music to their ears as they unleash months and months of repressed sexual appetite, consuming the other in all their might. She holds onto his heads as his tongue swirls around her clits, his thumb rubbing her pussy, wet with moist juices he sucks thirsty for her, his nose hitting her core as he eats her out, her hands pulling his hair as she writhes under him.

She flips them over with her hovering over him broad muscled frame, coated with a thin line of sweat as she massage his pecs, tracing his biceps with her hands, tickling him before teasing his bulge, still erect as she digs her claws around his thick throbbing length, slivering down his tall body with her ass perking up as she flicks her tongue making him hiss as he cups her tight ass taunting him.

'You know I don't have a gag reflex, right?' She says sultry, her voice sexy and seductive.

He gulps, unable to form the forms to summon a response to the hottest thing he's heard.

His dick is standing erect in front of her eyes, and she swallows all of him, hitting the back of her throat as he squirms under her.

'Ugh, oh my god, Rach!' He holds her head, positions her even closer as she sucks once, twice, thrice then cups the residue of his cock with her tiny hand, stroking him all the while tasting his cum as he grunts, clasping her hair.

She trails back up his body, her fingers tickling his sweaty flushed body and he pulls her against him, their naked bodies flushed together, her chin under his chin. They're out of breathe and recovering from the high of their heavy lovemaking as he strokes her silky hair.

'So good,' she breathes out, once catching her breath.

He smiles content and looks across at her petite frame, resisting to urge to devour her again with another round of relentless sex.

'I want to tell you something.' Her eyes dart open, glancing back at him.

'What?'

He bites his cheeks, forcing himself not to break into a huge grin.

'I don't think we can do long distance anymore.'

Her eyes sadden at his ominous tone, fighting the tears. It was inevitable for it to fall apart.

He notices her frown and pulls her closer. 'No, no, we're not breaking up, baby.' He sighs. 'I wanted to tell you in person, so it's good news'.

She breaks into a smile then. 'Yeah?'

'Uh-huh', he gulps. Here goes. 'I got my letter today to transfer to Hunter next year. I don't think we can be apart any longer, Rach. My body aches when you're not around. I just-'

He can't finish his rambling cause she's shut him up with her lips, kissing his fiercely as he reciprocates.

She has this smile on her face that lights the entire dimly lit room up.

'So you're not mad I didn't consult you first?' He asks gingerly.

'Nope', she shakes her head giddy.

'Thank you,' she hugs his waist.

He kisses her temple. 'Best surprise ever.'

He runs his fingers down the panel of her back. 'I got good news today', she whispers against his chest, her breathe tickling his taut skin.

'Huh?'

'I'm Desdemona'. His confused dumbfounded expression unleashes a fit of laughter.

'It's the lead role on Othello, you goof!' She whacks his chest playful as his mouth form an 'o'.

'Congrats, Rach, wish I could have been there to see you perform. Sure you brought the house down.'

She smiles against his chest nuzzling, her own heavily chest colliding with his naked pecs causing a friction as they breath together for the first time in so long.

_Free for you, whatever you need. Free together baby._


	3. Not Over You

**Not Over You**

_**AN: What this? Another update? Your eyes do not deceive. I'm really feelijng this story and GD just inspires my writing even more. Here comes the angst! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist after giving you somewhat happy dramtic and fluffy chapters. Review are gold. Enjoy!**_

_Dreams, that's where I have to go to see your beautiful face anymore._

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. But nobody warns you closeness can break you apart. They expected the distance to be hard, damaging even to tear them apart. But it's in junior year they go from being inseparable to estranged, together but not really connected any longer. The fights start out of nowhere, sometimes she throws things and he ducks for defence, its little things and big things. It's nothing and everything, It all goes wrong. And soon they're sitting across the table from each other in a candlelit restaurant, giving up on other.

He's noticed now, there's this pattern they follow so unpredictably in their tumultuous relationship. They have these waves of good seasons to come out with a grey cloud hanging over them. It happened in junior year of school and it's happening now. He breathes; sitting slumped on the sofa of his friend Dustin's apartment, a fellow sport science major with a beer in his hand, drinking away his sorrows. He knew this would happen; they would drive each other crazy with all the drama their relationship brings. He laughs bitterly. It seems they can't live with or without each other. They run in the same circle and she exchanges a warm smile with the complimentary question of how he's doing as if they are strangers now.

_I hope there's a conversation to admit we had it good. Til then it's alienation._

What sucks is Kurt; he makes it all thousand times over, refusing to accept they're over and plotting ways for them to bump into each other when she desperately wants to avoid his broken lifeless face. She feels like she's committed the worse crime, breaking him like that. Her feet shuffles on the floor and she avoids his eyes that pleads for her to understand him, sooth him, make him whole him again. She can't. She just can't. There are anguishing embraces at reunions with the glee crowd and Kurt's friends. They were together for almost half a decade, it's impossible to just let go. She still feels tied to him, even apart.

He forces himself to get up off the couch to get him dressed for Kurt's birthday party in Manhattan, getting ready to make his way from his little apartment from Brooklyn. He places the stale beer bottle on the dining table and runs his hands through his hair, sighing heavily. He really doesn't want to see her in yet another awkward encounter, resisting the urge to beg her to take him back and grit his teeth, forcing a fake smile for her assuring everyone he is no longer the broken man she left behind. He eyes himself in the full length mirror by his bedside desk, pulling on his dark denim jacket over his new striped black and white shirt, ironing out the creases and checking out his appearance before he smiles weakly at his reflection. Not bad for a guy who has been sulking over the loss of his ex girlfriend for what seemed like an eternity.

_If you ask me how I'm doing just fine, I would lie, say I'm fine, that you're not on my mind._

What hurts him even more is how he can't take his eyes over her while guys across the room are checking out her beautiful figure, her breathtaking face, glancing back at him as he sips the cold beer, swallowing the bitter pill of truth that says he will never get over her. The room is lit up with disco lights, decorations of Kurt in his fashion gear and food scattered all over, the place is inviting for some reason he feels all alone without her beside him.

He feels someone take a spot by his place by the food table but can't for the life of him take his eyes off her. She's mesmerising today, her figure hugged by a form fitting navy blue cocktail dress, silver pearl earrings dangling from her cute ears and a seductive sliver of her boobs, enhanced by the front of the dress, peaking out and teasing him as her long never ending legs reach the floor as he eyes the light tan marking her honey like skin, wishing he could run his fingers through them, feeling her tingle. His breath hitches as her eyes catch him staring.

'Oh stop it!' His stepbrother nudges his side.

He breaks out of his trance as the crowd bubbles around in front of their vision. People are mingling and having a great time but he wouldn't know as she claims his thoughts, overtaking his mind making him yearn for her even more.

He gulps. 'Huh?' He turns to look at his brother for a second before his eyes catch her again, brush meshing with hazel.

Kurt laughs as he catches them stare at each other, rolling his eyes.

'You two are that couple, even when you're not together, you're still a couple.'

He raises his eyebrows. Finn shakes his head.

'Look, we're done. We're over. We're not a couple anymore', his voice breaks as he tries to speak with conviction.

He glances back at her giggling at a guy probably telling a lame joke.

'Maybe it's over for good this time. It's best this way. I can't tie her down. She can fly free.'

_I go out; finally I'm forced to face the truth. I'm not over you._

Kurt steals his gaze. 'Hey, Finn. Come on. It's Rachel. You even said at one time in that corny way yours in high school that you think you're tethered. You're that couple. You're not over her, she's over you. So you drifted apart, got sick of each other. You'll fall right back together again. You mark my words.'

The male fashionista smirks, his eyes gleaming as Finn process his words.

The music fills the air and he glances around to get himself another drink, brushing off the words of his brother's over romanticised notion of his relationship.

She finally breaks free of Mandy's friend, yet another suitor she has tried to match make her with in a bid to get her over Finn. She doesn't get it. She and Finn will always be a part of each other's lives. She frowns to herself. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart when they sat across that table in the dimly lit restaurant all those months ago, saying it's over. She just has to accept it is and stop letting the tall goofball of an ex boyfriend cloud her mind.

She walks through the bubbly crowd of dancing tipsy people, trekking her way to the bar to find his tall slick frame staring back at her. She clears her throat and takes a seat at the other end, trying to kill the awkward tension. He doesn't notice, too lost in his own thoughts. She looks down and orders a martini from the barman, tapping the worktop with her finely manicured nails, her brown waves of hair cascading her slender shoulders.

He glances to his side to find her sulking and blinks his eyes, smiling sadly, approaching her.

'Hey, Rach.'

She raises her head to look at him and feels all her breath escape from her lungs, now constricted from the handsome sight of him. He's never looked so suave, the white and black striped shirt she got him for their 1 year anniversary fitting his muscled physique, his hair brushed and gelled lightly, the freckles in his face making him look even more smouldering.

The barman hands her the martini and she tries to form words but fails.

'You look good.' He offers.

'He-hey. You too. That shirt looks good on you.'

He glances down. 'It's yours.' His eyes lock with hers in meaningful glances, the air thick and the moment poignant as she feels him gaze at her.

'I know', she whispers.

'I-I-er...I'm...I was wondering how you were doing?' She asks sheepishly and he smiles. He is the only guy who can render her speechless to this day; her reaction makes him proud somehow.

'I'm fine. I'm-er...you know. The usual', he swallows as her long eyes flutter atop her hooded eyes.

'I'm sorry.' She whispers. 'I was a nightmare', she eyes her drink as the man hands his cold beer.

'No, you weren't. You're...you.' His voice is hoarse and there is a silence between them that speaks volumes.

How does she do it? How does she look so innocent and sincere when breaking his heart all over again?

_Damn girl, you do it well. I thought you were innocent. Still you're magnificent._

They catch up on past time tales, talking about their dating life and he laughs about Mandy's ploys to get her a date to accompany her double dates with Mr Perfect Boyfriend Jason while he whines about how much a pain Kurt is nowadays taunting him over his 'lack of fashion sense'.

He's not been with another girl since they broke apart all those months ago, unable to get the image of her face, her body, her everything out of his mind. They part oddly, as her friend pulls her away from his reach to introduce her to yet another friend, a suitor. He smiles weakly; claiming he couldn't care less as the pieces of his heart scatters the dance floor. She's moving on, maybe he should too. He breaks away his gaze from her spot in the and starts mingling with the crowd, plying himself with drink to ease away the pain of his emptiness without her. He sighs as a blonde beauty flirts with him, bouncing back.

He sleeps with a random nameless blonde that night trying to make him feel something and drown away the deep emptiness that surrounds him these days. His fingers run through the locks of dry blonde hair imagining her silky brown strings, the pale freckled skin is replaced with her honey like smooth skin, the thin lips morph into her fuller kissable ones and the legs the wrap around his waist petite but going on for miles than scrawny lanky sticks. He can't erase her like a lost memory as she him, she haunts him in all the ways, he falls asleep closing his eyes hoping he doesn't dream of her tonight.

Wishful thinking.

_I'm a boomerang, doesn't matter how you throw me, turn around and I'm back in the game. _

She closes her apartment door, bidding goodbye to all her new friends and suitors, smacking Mandy on the arm, smiling amused. As her friend shrugs, disappearing into her room, her lips morph into a frown and she feels her heart sink as if a part of her is missing, incomplete.

Maybe she made a mistake, she questions herself internally. It was rash and defeatist. Since when have they ever given up on each other? She lays awake, staring at the ceiling, contemplating the biggest mistake of her life. Letting him go.

He wakes up out of sorts with a stranger next to his bed as Dustin whistles, giving him a pat on the back for 'getting some action' last night. He rolls his eyes and groans, mumbling something about a shower as the shorter dark haired Canadian laughs, making a quip about him being tired from all the exercise, vowing to make them a big breakfast of pancakes.

A bell rings as he disappears into the kitchen, music on full blast, falling on deaf ears.

She shrugs on her trench coat, and get out of her apartment at the break of dawn, literally dressed in her sleepwear. She has to tell him how stupid she was to call it off without giving it another try just when the going got tough, to curse herself for being such a fool.

She breathes nervously as the door bolts open suddenly.

Her heart sinks and she feels herself drowning as a blonde answers clad in her underwear and Finn's striped white shirt from last night.

'Hello?' The sleepy voice asks the speechless petite brunette.

She bolts.

_Even better than the old me, but I'm not even close without you. I'm not over you._


	4. We Belong Together

**We Belong Together**

_**AN: Not sure if I like this chapter as much I wanted to. Let me know what you think!**_

_We belong together, like the open seas and shores wedded by the planet force. _

_We've been spoken for_

The moment she walks away, she decides she has to let go and move on. She resumes her life or normalcy, lectures, theatre projects and audition as well as work. She's sitting at the lecture room, eying her notes in intense concentration moment prior to the start of the lecturer's speech when someone takes a seat beside her, shoulders and elbows brushing, she breathes at the subtle contact.

She turns her head to find her brown eyes mesh with a green specs, a tall dark handsome athletic man in his 20s smiling down at her awestruck expression. Her breath hitches as his wide grin makes her weak in the knees.

'James Holden,' he offers his hand which she gingerly shakes, eying him warily.

'Rachel Berry', she nods acknowledging him.

'D-do y-you...er...come here, I mean are you in this class?' She points her pen to their hollow surroundings.

James smiles at her amused, and nods his head.

'It's just I've never...um...seen you.'

The stranger gives her another heart warming smile. 'That's because I never make lectures.' He says complacently.

She rolls eyes inwardly, eying her notes disregarding him. So he's one of those arrogant art types, the know-it-all, too-cool-for-school scrounger she decides. She ignores him for most of the lecture until she chases her down the hall.

He relentless pursues her for a coffee date until she submits. He must find her aloofness attractive because she has done nothing to encourage his advances. She smiles and it goes from there.

She doesn't expect to fall for him but it turns out she has a thing for charming theatre buffs.

He finds out through the grapevine and something in him dies as the reality of her being someone else's and not longer his to hold on to. Watching her with him reminds him of the time he had to endure her love affair with St James fighting the urge to smash his face in, the irony is this guy is the nicer version that jerk, handsome features, eloquently spoken, polite, charming and suave with a dash of pretention like every theatre guy he meets who hits on his girl. He smacks himself mentally, she's not longer his.

_We're done if we're undone, finished if we are incomplete. As one we are everything_

Kurt checks on him like a charity case, constantly asking how he's dealing with this news and he shrugs it off, blasé and nonchalant. She's a free agent; she can do whatever she likes. He starts burning the midnight oil, engrossed in his course and establishing himself as a prospective athlete and meets a girl he notices as following his matches avidly, eying him flirty and undressing him from the stands every week. Finally he plucks up the courage to ask her out and within hours they're peeling each other's clothes, off, lips sealed and hands roaming all over the places as he tries to replace her with the girl who captivates his mind.

She's out of his mind and forgotten, well barely. He and Camilla are strolling the New York apple when they bump into her and James. He laughs nervously and introduces them, his eyes looking at her longingly as she avoids his. They're over, have been for a year. The awkwardness dies down as they keep running in the same circles senior year. Turns out James and Camilla work in the same theatre as lighting aides. Rachel and Finn go back to the fateful friend's zone, hanging out as if nothing ever happened between them.

It hurts a little less now, seeing her happy. He wonders if anything would have been different if they had worked out but mostly the boy in him who still aches for her is satisfied with the fact his other guy makes her happy. They talk a lot about with anecdotes over their class mayhem and the usual roommate fables. He finds himself laughing with her a lot and she leans into him again over her stage jitters when she finally gets the role she's been waiting for as Fanny Brice and she melts into his body as he kisses the top of her head, inhaling her coconut and berry essence, missing her fragrance, her everything a little more.

She misses having him in her life and when she gets him back, even as a friend, erasing the image of the blonde as his doorway that night, she holds onto to hope that someday they will piece it all back together, everything that was broken. They shares secrets and lies, they share histories and dreams, they share everything. She realises then, leaning into his couch watching Funny Girl for the umpteenth time, they might just belong together like sand to sea, water in an ocean, snow atop a mountain, hills to a landscape. She's in somewhat a serious relationship, a stable one that does not involve the on-off cycle and tantrums or drama, a normal uncomplicated dynamic but somehow she finds herself missing him. She finds her life more close to being complete when sharing it with him in this unbreakable friendship they build. He's stroking her bare arms as she leans back into his chest, her legs crossed against his lap, his hand on her knee as she inhales his own fresh musky scent. It's been too long since they have been apart, close together like this and she melds into his touch, closing her eyes reminiscing their good times. She wouldn't change it for the world.

_What good is a life with no one to share, the light of the moon, the honour of a swear_

The phone on her jacket lying by the armchair vibrates, breaking them out of their trance.

She jerks up, answering the ring to find the suave charmer on the other line.

'Hey James,' she says in a sing song voice and he feels himself wanting to vomit at the sweetness of the exchange. What he hates the most is that this guy is as sweet as pie. She doesn't even dislike him; in fact he's pretty sure they're friends. He just hates he gets her.

Her face morphs into an unreadable expression and she disappears into the kitchen as he turns of the VCR, watching her with concern, his eyebrows knitted in confusion at the secrecy of the interaction.

'Uh. Yep. I understand. Ok.' She breathes in, fighting tears as the call draws to an abrupt end.

He's standing by the door frame of the hall, her back to him.

'Rach, you OK? What's going on?' He asks gently as her figure tenses, shoulders hunched up as he edges closer realising she's shaking with sobs racking her body.

He draws her to his chest as she circles his waist.

'He brek weth meh.' She muffles into his thin t-shirt clad chest.

'Huh?' He asks, confused, soothing her, stroking her silky locks as she continues to cry.

Her sobs dry up moments after they stand in the middle of the hallway, him holding her, consoling her before she finally becomes the articulate Rachel Berry again, forging a smile.

'It's nothing. Not like I haven't been dumped before. I mean I gotta stop that habit.' She quips.

'Hey', he says hoarsely, stroking her cheek delicately, tilting her face to look at him.

'You deserve so much better than a guy who breaks up with over the phone without a reason. You deserve someone who treats you like the queen you are, Rach.'

Her eyes water, her brown orbs mesh with his hazel eyes. She nods feebly as he hugs her again, tucking his chin on her shoulder, holding her tight radiating warmth to her body.

He fishes into the fridge getting out her melon wine juice thingy she got for him that he never touches, because come on dude don't drink fruity drinks and some beers to cheer her up. She wipes her tears, shrugging as he wraps his arms around her shoulders, her hands around his waist, her head buried in his chest as they got back watching the movie.

_All this indecision, all this independent strength, still we've got our hearts on save._

He's chuckling watching her loosen up and a tad tipsy dancing in that cute way of hers to his friend's reggae music tracks in the living room, as he sips the beer, slouched on the fabric sofa. Her skirt twirls above her thighs and he catches a sliver of her red lace panties, gulping and almost choking on his wine in arousal. She still has that effect on him, making him lose control and taking his breath away. She's got this sad gleam in her eyes as she slouches back on the sofa next to him, his arms instinctively warming around her shoulders as their bodies collide, no permission sought.

'I messed up', she says in a melancholic tone, pouting a little, eying the ground as he watches her spirit fall.

He rubs her arms again consoling her, shaking his head in disagreement. 'No you didn't. You were the best girlfriend ever, Rach. Trust me, I would know', he points his peer at her speaking with conviction.

She eyes him with dark expressive eyes as he's caught off guard.

Rachel fiddles with her dainty fingers as the dim lit room illuminates her unreadable face, hidden in the shadows as they sit on the velvet magenta sofa, all cosy with their knees knocking, arms touching, sending tingles over his spine. The moon is full tonight, shining upon the unlikely couple as a silence looms over them, making the air thick around them as she utters the words she's been keeping in for too long.

'I came for you'. It's barely above whispers, the wind gusting outside the window and if he wasn't so captivate by her presence, he wouldn't have heard the mumble.

'Huh?' He puts his beer up, facing her and gently tilting her face as a tear rolls off her cheek which he wipes away from eh pad of his thumb.

'What do you mean?' He swallows his tone coarse, filled with emotion and longing.

'I...after Kurt's party last year, I knocked on your door in the morning and a blonde answered', she breathes out, looking away with a hurt expression written over her face. 'She was wearing your shirt, the white and black striped short I got you. And I-'

His breath hitches and he cups her face, eying her hungrily as her chest heaves, revealing a slit of her cleavage, as he edges closer closing the gap, his mouth brushing against her own rosy lips as they kiss, tongues seeking entrance and dancing, his hand framing her jaw and cupping her face so tenderly as she gives in to what she's been yearning for, his touch. His teeth digs into her lower lips, bruising them as his mouth swallows her kissable lips as her own hands trail to his russet hair, fingering his messy locks as he pulls her down on the sofa, hovering over her as she closes her eyes revelling in his touch, his hands roaming her low cut vest and cupping her supple breasts as she moans, her breath shallow and her spot wet from his ministrations as he kisses her soft slowly behind her ear, her eyes, her flushed cheeks, her peek of her breasts, riding her vest up to get to her belly, marking her with his lips in all her honey-like flesh, so sweet tasting to his hungry mouth as he moans, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him up to seal another tender kiss, her hair mussed and her lips tainted rosy red from his vigorous kisses before. She sighs as his bulge hits her short clad spot, aroused by his arousal, his reaction to her body as he peppers her with kisses all over.

He jerks up, and she moans in protest to his lack of contact. 'Why?' He asks in a desperate tone. 'Why did you let it be over between us?'

She stares back at him with a blank expression, her eyes filled with regret. 'I was stupid.' She shakes her head, trying to look away as he holds her, arms on either side like a human cage.

She laughs bitterly, to herself mostly. 'I guess I wanted to be independent and strong. One of those women who don't need a man to make her feel complete...' She lets her words hang in the air and a soft smile graces his features.

'You don't', he says plainly. 'You don't need me', he adds, his tone sad.

'I do', she strokes his jaw. 'I need you in my life, in me, with me, all the time. Watching me by the sidelines as the good and the bad tide away, being there like you've always been. I need you so much', she cries. She strokes her tears away with the back of her hand falling like waterfall on her cheeks, as he watches her, questioning her with his own warm eyes.

'I thought-I thought that if I couldn't make us work, then maybe I wasn't meant for you', she sighs, rolling her eyes. 'I was wrong, because I don't work without you. I can't function without you. I can't be without you.'

He gulps, watching her face soften as he leans down to kiss her temple, holding her to him.

'You have me, I'm yours.' He tucks her head under his chin as she circles his waist.

They revel in the embrace as the wind blows around them.

'Finn?'

He shuts his eyes, content with her beside him again.

'Huh?' He mumbles, eyes still shut relishing the feel of her against him.

'Don't ever let us give up on each other again, ok?'

His eyes flicker open as he gazes back at her, a smirk playing on his lips as he answers with absolute certainty and conviction.

'Never.'

_We are everything we need_


End file.
